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Within the mid-Nineteen Eighties, Porsche unleashed a supercar so superior it appeared prefer it got here from the longer term. Full of energetic suspension and a sequential twin-turbo engine, the 959 rewrote the rulebook for road-going efficiency and innovation.
A long time later, its mix of cutting-edge tech and blistering pace nonetheless captivates fanatics and engineers alike. Let’s discover 10 standout details that designate why the Porsche 959 stays a legend within the supercar world.
1. World’s Quickest Manufacturing Automotive in 1986
In response to Porsche, when it debuted in 1986, the Porsche 959 hit a prime pace of 317 km/h, making it the quickest street-legal automotive on the planet on the time.
Few rivals even got here near that milestone again then.
2. Sequential Twin-Turbo Flat-Six Engine
Attribution: Matti Blume – CC BY 4.0/Wikimedia Commons.
Beneath its smooth physique sits a 2.85-litre flat-six borrowed from Porsche’s 956 and 962 racing engines. The intelligent sequential twin-turbo setup all however eradicated turbo lag and delivered an exciting 450 PS burst of energy.
3. 0–100 km/h in Simply 3.7 Seconds
The 959 rocketed from standstill to 100 km/h in solely 3.7 seconds.
Even by trendy requirements, that dash nonetheless outpaces many modern supercars.
4. All-Wheel Drive Pioneer for Turbo Porsches
Lengthy earlier than AWD grew to become a supercar staple, the 959’s superior all-wheel drive system may ship as much as 80 p.c of torque to the rear axle.
That meant phenomenal grip, whether or not you have been on asphalt, gravel, or snow.
5. Energetic Suspension and Experience-Peak Management
It was the primary manufacturing automotive ever to characteristic energetic suspension paired with automated ride-height adjustment.
This tech ensured optimum aerodynamics and luxury with none driver enter.
6. Revolutionary Magnesium Alloy Wheels
Every hollow-chamber wheel is forged from light-weight magnesium alloy and features a built-in tyre-pressure monitoring system.
That prime-tech answer was a long time forward of its time.
7. Extremely-Restricted Manufacturing
Porsche constructed solely 292 customer-spec 959s between 1987 and 1988.
In the present day, these uncommon machines command costs effectively north of US$1.5 million at public sale.
8. Star-Studded Possession
Tech pioneers and celebrities like Invoice Gates, Jerry Seinfeld, and Martina Navratilova have all added a 959 to their garages.
Their ardour underscores precisely how particular this supercar actually is.
9. Legendary Press Acclaim
When Automotive and Driver lastly drove the 959 in 1987, their assessment merely declared it “excellent,” praising its fusion of race-car efficiency and luxury-sedan consolation.
Superlatives don’t get a lot stronger than that.
10. Rally-Born Heritage
Earlier than its road-going debut, a pre-production 959 received the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally and secured a one-two end in 1986.
That competitors pedigree shines by means of in each twist of the ignition.
The Porsche 959’s Lasting Legacy
The 959 wasn’t only a halo automotive; it was a rolling laboratory of improvements that trickled into a long time of supercars. Its sequential turbos, energetic suspension, and AWD system set benchmarks that Porsche and the broader trade nonetheless comply with right this moment.
Greater than 35 years on, the 959 stays an engineering masterpiece and a collector’s dream. It proved that pushing technical boundaries can create a machine as extraordinary now because it was in 1986.
